Shadow and Soul
by DarkHope24
Summary: What if there was another Dragon Slayer from the very beginning and was a part of Fairy Tail? But she left without any real reason. Five years later she comes back to meet Lucy and the other new members. What are her powers? Is she really that strong? What happens when a dark guild called Demon's Cross threaten Fairy Tail? Why is Lucy so jealous? Read and Find out! Please Review!
1. Chapter 1

**Shadow and Soul**

**Chapter 1 - Nightshade**

Death, that's what everybody called it. That one word, a word that everybody feared. Huh, fear. Fear is the source of all emotion if you break it down to its finest detail. Without something as concrete as fear, well, this world would not exist.

Strength is just the fear of weakness, of not being good enough.

Love is the fear of loneliness, of having to spend your life without that one person who fills that void in your heart.

Hope is the fear of complete helplessness, so it is common to want to believe that there is something out there to bring you out of that darkness.

I am the epitome of fear and darkness. People fear me and I fear them.

I am the Shadow Dragon Slayer and people have always feared the darkness of the shadows and the unknown; whereas, I found comfort in the unexplored corners of the dark.

I am not afraid of isolation.

I am not afraid of pain.

I am not afraid of death, if that's what you so wish to call it.

I'd rather call it oblivion or falling into the void. But no matter what you call, it does not strike any form of fear into my blackened heart.

I have lived my entire life being feared by most people as well as fearing those who try to get close to me. Abandonment is nothing new to me, isolation and utter loneliness are the norm. Some might call me antisocial, I prefer independent.

And this…this is the story of how I died, though it wasn't entirely unwelcome.

* * *

><p>Lucy sat at the bar in the guild hall hoping to be able to enjoy a few moments of peace before Natsu dragged her out on another mission.<p>

Sighing, she rested her head on the counter, swiveling slightly on the barstool.

"Are you okay, Lucy?" Mirajane asked kindly, drying a freshly cleaned glass as she looked worriedly at the blonde.

Lucy slightly lifted her head. "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. It's just that Natsu, Happy, and I have been going on jobs nonstop for almost a month now and I kinda need a break," She responded sheepishly.

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm sure they'll calm down eventually," Mira reassured.

"You know, it's hard to believe that I've only been a part of the guild for a year. It just seems like so much longer, with everything that's happened," Lucy mused, resting her chin on the palm of her hand.

"I know, time sure flies," Mira agreed, smiling sweetly.

As they fell into a comfortable silence, Lucy's eyes roamed lazily over the guild hall. She did this quite often, but no matter how many times she looked there was always something she missed.

Eventually her brown eyes landed on a small portrait that was sitting idling on the back counter of the bar. Lucy lifted her head and observed it further; it was a picture of a girl she had never seen.

The picture frame itself was nothing special, just simple a simple dark wood. The whole picture was coated in a layer of dust so obviously it hadn't been moved or touched or even looked at in a while. Lucy couldn't really get a good look at the girl in the picture.

"Hey Mira?" Lucy beckoned.

"Hmm?" Mira acknowledged.

"Who is that in that picture back their? On the counter, I don't think I've ever seen her around the guild before," The Celestial Wizard remarked.

Mirajane gently set down the glasses she had been cleaning and looked over at the picture Lucy was talking about. She gasped. "I didn't even know we still had this picture," Mira spoke softly as she ran her fingers over the dusty wood. Tears began to pool in her eyes, but she would not let them fall. "Reedus painted this portrait of her just before she left." Mira was talking more to herself than to Lucy by now.

"But, who is it? What do you mean, left?" Lucy prodded.

Mira just shook her head. "It's not really my story to tell, maybe I should get the master. He can explain everything much better than I ever could." And she just walked away, headed towards Makarov's office.

Lucy watched her walk away with questioning eyes.

"Hey Lucy!" Wendy exclaimed from behind the blonde. She took a seat on the barstool next to her, Carla not far behind.

"Oh, hey Wendy," Lucy responded halfheartedly. She couldn't get her mind off of the way Mira was acting; it reminded her of when they told her of when Lisanna died. But, of course, Lisanna was just stuck in Edolas and is now back home.

"Something wrong, Lucy?" Wendy asked, spinning on her stool.

"Well, I'm not really sure. There was this picture of a girl that I saw and when I asked Mira about it, she just kind of shut down and went to go find the master," Lucy replied.

"I wonder what that was about," Wendy cocked her head to the side.

Lucy smiled and ruffled her hair. "I'm sure it was nothing."

"So, you wish to know who the girl is in this portrait?!" A deep and scratchy voice sounded from behind the two girls. They both shrieked as they turned around to see Makarov standing there with the picture in his hand and a grim expression plastered on his face.

"Y-yes," Lucy squeaked, shaking slightly.

She noticed that the picture had been cleared of all dust. And as she looked at it, she took in the girl's appearance.

She had deep purple hair that was braided and draped over her right shoulder. The Fairy Tail emblem was also purple and was on the girl's left bicep, contrasting greatly with her pale skin. She had startling silver eyes and they seemed so kind. She also had a scarf, similar to Natsu's only it was purple. Lucy thought she looked to be about eleven, maybe twelve in that picture.

"This girl's name is Daniela Nightshade," Makarov proclaimed, shadows being cast over his face. A silence seemed to overtake the rest of the guild when they heard that name.

"Huh? What's happening?" Gajeel snarled, iron sticking through his teeth as he enjoyed his latest meal. Pantherlily, who was seated next to him, merely shrugged.

"My beloved Gray, is there something wrong?!" Juvia bellowed when she saw the shocked expression on the Ice Mage's face. He didn't respond.

"Why are they all reacting this way? It's like they've all been frozen," Wendy whispered to Lucy and Carla.

Natsu had his fists clenched and was trembling. His pink hair cast shadows over his features making his expression unreadable. Happy hovered next to him, tears pooling in his big eyes. Lucy noticed that many of the members seemed close to tears.

"But, who is she? Did she betray the guild or something?" Lucy urged.

"Never!" Natsu suddenly roared causing Lucy to jump in shock. "Danny never would have betrayed this guild! We were her family, all she had! She was more loyal to the guild than any of us!" A tear slipped down his cheek as he stormed out of the guild hall, Happy following close behind.

Lucy, Gajeel, Wendy, Juvia, Carla, and Pantherlily; the newest members of Fairy Tail. They looked at the place Natsu had just been in shock, never expecting that kind of outburst from him. The others, however, didn't seem surprised at all.

"What's up with him?" Gajeel jabbed, glaring as he always seems to be.

"Danny is a member of the guild; technically, she never officially left. There's still a chance she'll come back," Cana murmured softly, staring at her drink with longing and sorrow. An emotion Lucy hasn't seem Cana have since she told her about Gildarts being her father. Tears trailed down Cana's cheeks, but she didn't seem to notice.

Gildarts, who was sitting right next to her, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I wouldn't have high expectations for that," Laxus grumbled; even he seemed genuinely troubled. He was staring at the floor with his arms crossed. Ever so slightly, you could see his shoulders shaking with repressed tears.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Levy shouted. "You can't just give up hope! She's going to come back!"

"Could someone please explain!" Lucy sweatdropped while Jet and Droy were trying to calm a fuming Levy. She was now sobbing and they enclosed her in a hug as they too shed a few tears.

"Well, like I said, the story is difficult to explain," Mira sniveled, trying to stop her own flow of tears.

"Danny is the strongest member of Fairy Tail," Makarov informed.

"Wah?!" The newest members all spluttered.

"I thought that Gildarts was the most powerful member!" Wendy faltered.

"Well, at the time this picture was painted, Danny and Gildarts were on the same level. People evn used to call her the Shadow Demon! Who knows how strong she has gotten by now," Lisanna explained, ignoring the wetness of her cheeks.

Gildarts chuckled humorlessly. "She certainly could hold her own in a fight against me; she was incredible," He looked thoughtful for a moment; as if remembering the last time they fought.

"But, she looks like eleven years old in that picture!" Lucy exclaimed, her arms flailing.

Makarov sighed as he looked at Lucy seriously; she shrunk beneath his gaze. "Age is unimportant when it comes to skill and power. I figured you'd know that by now, Lucy. And besides, she's twelve in this picture," He huffed, pouting slightly.

Lucy simply laughed sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"A real man knows that age doesn't matter!" Elfman bellowed, though he too was crying like the man he was.

"But why did Natsy react that way?" Wendy asked worriedly. She was twirling a piece of hair between her fingers; a nervous habit she picked up since she joined Fairy Tail.

"Well, Natsu and Danny were really close. Danny was the type who everyone could talk to. She would listen to us and give advice when she felt it was needed. She sympathized with everyone when they were dealing with a problem. Danny was probably one of the sweetest girls you could ever know," Erza hesitated, wiping a tear from her eye. "Anyway, we all loved her very much, like a sister or a daughter for some of us. That's just the way she was. We've all had our fair share of troubled pasts and Danny more than most. She accepted everyone for who they were no matter what had happened in their history. There was a lot we didn't know about Danny, things she didn't feel comfortable talking about; however, every single one of us had a special relationship with her."

"I was really young when she left, but I do remember Danny being really kind to me," Romeo sniffled, accepting the embrace of his father.

"But because, at the time, she was the only other dragon slayer in the guild; Natsu was always drawn to her and they were best friends. You could almost never see them apart unless Danny had gone on an S-class mission and Natsu wasn't allowed to join her," Gray continued, his voice shaky.

"She was a dragon slayer?!" Juvia exclaimed, hardly believing her ears.

"Yes, she's a Shadow Dragon Slayer," Makarov informed. He wouldn't speak of her in past tense, like she was gone. Nobody believed she would be coming back, but he knew she was still out there; somewhere.

"What's that? I've never heard of that kind of magic before," Wendy articulated.

Erza specified, "A Shadow Dragon Slayer is no different than other dragon slayers. However, Danny controls the shadows, wills them to do what she wants. And, she had a lot more control over her magic than Natsu did so she was a great deal stronger."

"A Shadow Dragon Slayer, huh? Sounds pretty dark and depressing if you ask me," Gajeel leered.

"Well, no one asked you!" Freed burst, his shoulders shaking. No one expected that kind of outburst from Freed of all people. Bickslow placed a hand on his shoulder to try to calm him down. Freed took a breath and settled.

'Wow, it seems like everyone was affected by this Danny girl's leaving; even the Thunder Legion. How could she do that to them?' Lucy thought darkly. She just couldn't understand, couldn't grasp what had happened.

"So why did she leave? What happened?" Pantherlily inquired.

"I remember it like it was yesterday," Erza mused.

"Yeah, it's crazy," Gray agreed. Several others nodding their heads in accord.

"It's hard to believe that she left five years ago," Makarov remarked sadly, finding the floor very interesting at the moment.

"FIVE YEARS AGO?!" The newest members all cried out in unison.

While Makarov and the others were trying to explain to Lucy what had happened so long ago, Natsu had disappeared into the forest; eventually finding himself standing in front of a familiar tree. It had an engraving in its dark wood. It said:

_N.D. and D.N._

_Best Friends Forever_

Natsu ran his finger gently over the words, savoring the familiar feel of the wood on his skin.

A few moments passed and Natsu sank down to the base of the tree. He leaned his head back and crossed his arms over his muscular chest. One of his legs was bent at the knee and pulled close to his chest while the other leg was stretched on in front of him. Natsu sighed and closed his eyes.

His breathing was still a little ragged from crying and now tears were just free falling. Happy sat on the rough ground next to Natsu, twiddling with his toes and occasionally sniffling from crying.

"I remember that day, so clearly," Natsu whispered, almost desperately.

"Aye," Happy replied, closing his eyes as well.

Memories flashed in front of Natsu's closed eyes, of that day.

_Flashback_

_The guild hall is always so boring whenever Danny is away on an S-class mission. It's so unfair that I don't get to go with her. I'm just as powerful as her…well, I'm close anyway._

_I walked around the guild hall, jaded almost to the point of insanity. _

_Why did she always get to go on the super awesome missions? I wish I could fight those bad guys, and the money would be nice too. I sighed._

_I was just about to go engage the ice princess in another one of our fights, I was just that bored, when I heard the doors to the guild hall creek open. Whipping around, I could feel my face split into a giant smile. Danny was back!_

"_Welcome back, Danny!" Everybody chorused._

_It was normal for them to do that whenever Danny came back from a job. She went on so many that it was routine._

"_Hey everyone!" Danny replied, smiling brightly._

_She had her duffle bag strapped onto her back and her father's dagger in a holster on her hip. When I asked her about it a while ago, she said it was the only thing she had left of her dad. Similar to the silver chain bracelet that she always wore on her left wrist, it was her mom's._

_I ran up to her and wrapped my arms around her._

_I loved this feeling, embracing her. She had the most intoxicating smell and the soft fabric of the scarf I gave her was coated in it._

"_Stop going on S-class missions! You know I can't go with you and it's not fair!" I whined into her shoulder, sticking out my bottom lip in a pout. I felt her shoulders shake with chuckles._

_She lightly patted my back. "Natsu! You'll get S-class eventually, I can promise you that. You're too powerful a wizard not to. Just be patient, okay?" _

_I nodded as we separated from our hug; I was still smiling like a fool._

"_Yeah right, him? Get S-class? Ha! Don't make me laugh," Mirajane hissed from her seat at the bar. I lowered my head in shame._

"_Hey, don't say that. With a little hard work, I'm sure Natsu will get S-class. Unlike you, you lazy psychopath," Erza leered, smiling sickly._

_And then they started fighting again. They were just as bad as me and Gray; if not, worse._

_I felt a delicate hand on my shoulder. I lifted my eyes to meet the gaze of Danny's silver orbs that captured me every time I looked at them. I could stare at her eyes forever._

"_Don't listen to Mira, she doesn't know what she's talking about," Danny encouraged, squeezing my shoulder slightly. I nodded at her, my spirits easily lifted. Danny smiled at me and I simply melted._

_I'd never tell her this, but I have a huge crush on her. The thing is, I know Gray also likes her and I don't really know what to do about it; not like I plan on doing anything about my feelings. But, she is the only other Dragon Slayer in the guild, that must be why we are so close._

_All of the sudden, Danny was attacked by a blue puff of fur. I laughed as she stumbled backwards, landing flat on the ground._

"_Well, hello to you too, Happy," Danny giggled as she pried the ball of fluff from her face. I was on the floor rolling with laughter by now._

"_Sorry I knocked you over," Happy stammered shyly, "I didn't mean to. But, I missed you a lot."_

"_Aw, it's okay Happy. You just caught me off guard a little, don't worry about it," Danny assured, nuzzling his nose. Happy giggled in response, pecking her nose as well._

"_Daniela! So glad you're back," Gramps cheered, grinning like he always does._

_Danny got off the ground with Happy still in her arms. I envied him for a moment because he was so close to her. I stood right at her side._

"_Master," Danny whined, letting Happy on the ground. "How many times have I told you, I prefer it when you call me Danny!" There was no malice in her voice, she was simply joking around with Gramps. They do that a lot; and she always looked cute when she scrunched up her nose like that._

"_I know, I know," Gramps chuckled. "Anyway, a letter came for you while you were gone. All it says is your name, no return address or anything. I made sure nobody got their hands on it." He momentarily glanced at me._

_Okay, I admit, I tried to read the letter…a few times. I was curious! She's never gotten mail before, almost none of us ever do._

_It was weird though. The letter was in a white envelope and had Danny's full name written on the back in black ink and in cursive. Wouldn't anybody be curious?!_

"_Hmm," Danny hummed, rocking back and forth on her heals. "Okay, I'll go read it. See you in a minute Natsu and Happy!" And she accepted the letter from the master and glided over to the far corner of the guild._

_She put her duffle bag on the ground and sat in her chair, leaning it back on its hind legs as she tore open the letter._

_That was always her favorite spot because of all the shadows. She always did like the dark; which isn't surprising considering she is a Shadow Dragon Slayer._

_I asked her about it once. We were sitting out by a tree in the forest and she was sitting at the base of a dark wooded tree. For a moment, Danny had looked really thoughtful as she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her tiny legs while resting her head on them._

"_They make me feel safe," She had confessed, gazing into the distance instead of looking at me._

_I raised a brow at her, but didn't comment. She seemed like she was in a world of her own and I didn't want to disturb that._

_It was that day that we had carved our initials and our promise into that tree. We did it with her father's dagger. That was always going to be our tree._

_I had gone to sit at the table where Gray, Erza, Mira, and Lisanna were; Happy hovering right behind me. Lisanna was super clingy to me, I knew she liked me. Don't get me wrong or anything, she's one of my best friends, but it bugs me when she's always around sometimes._

_Gray and I had almost immediately started bickering when I sat down. It stopped moments later though when Erza pulled us apart…honestly, that girl can be scary when she wants to be._

_I chanced a look over at Danny only for my brows to furrow in concern._

_Danny was staring at the open letter with her eyes wide. I could see them moving rapidly as she read it over and over again, like she couldn't believe what it was saying._

_Many people were looking at her in worry now, but she didn't seem to notice any of us._

_I was about to go over to her when she folded up the letter and put it in her pocket. Danny stood up from her position in the corner and strode away from it, stuffing her hands in her pockets as she did so._

_Danny's head was bowed so her long, purple bangs were casting shadows over her face._

_Many people tried to ask her if she was alright, but she either ignored them or brushed them off saying she was perfectly fine…even me._

_I was about to follow her when she went up the stairs to the S-class floor and I knew I wasn't allowed to go up there. I exchanged worried looks with everyone and could tell they were just as freaked as I was._

_Danny never acted this way, well that's not entirely true. She did get all quiet and withdrawn around the anniversary of her parents' deaths. Maybe the letter said something about her parents?_

_A few minutes later I heard the sound of soft footsteps descending the stairs. Danny was finally coming back down, and with what looked like a job request in her hand. She was going on another one?! But she just got back!_

_Danny skipped up to the master and handed him the paper. "I'd like to take this job, please!" She chirped, smiling brightly. Her dimples were rather prominent when she smiled like that._

_Well, she seemed better than she was about ten minutes ago._

_I saw Gramps raise a questioning brow. "Really? A century long mission? Are you sure?"_

_I felt my world crash and my throat close up. A century long mission?!_

"_Well yeah! I'd really like the experience, and you know I can do it!" Danny pleaded. I couldn't help but notice she was almost desperate. I don't think anyone else was aware of it though._

"_I have no doubt you can do the job!" Gramps remedied. "However, I want you to understand that this job is extremely difficult and you'll be gone for a long time."_

"_That's okay! I can figure it out," Danny insisted._

"_Alright then," Gramps decided, giving her back the request paper. "Just be careful." He sounded skeptical and a little worried, which did not ease my rapidly beating heart._

_Danny nodded enthusiastically and went to get her duffle bag._

_I can't believe she's leaving, again! I can't help but wonder; does this have to do with that letter? Why was she leaving? Will she come back?_

_These questions were not helping in the slightest._

"_You'll do great, Kid. Just don't get ahead of yourself and be on guard. You never know what could happen," Gildarts hinted as he ruffled her hair. She playfully glared at him, but nodded her head none the less. I could tell he was worried, it was in his eyes._

_After making sure her duffle was securely strapped to her back, Danny began to walk to the doors; although, it didn't quite work out when she was intercepted by over half the guild. Some said simple goodbyes while others seemed to beg her not to leave _*cough* _Elfman, Happy_ *cough*_. _

_Even Laxus hugged her! I didn't know they were that close._

_Then Gray hugged her, a little too long for my liking. My blood was boiling as I watched the two embrace._

"_Don't be gone to long, okay?" He whispered in her ear, burying his face in her hair. My fists were tightly clenched, my knuckles were near white. I really didn't like him that close to her._

"_I won't," She vowed, kissing him on the cheek before releasing him._

_I could see his blush from a mile away! She actually kissed him! Granted, it was only on the cheek, but still!_

_A second later I had bolted forward and enclosed her in my arms. "Please, don't go," I begged lamely. I knew there was no changing her mind at this point. I tried to hold in my tears the best I could._

"_Hey, no crying," She cooed. I could feel her place her pale hands on my cheeks and direct my face so we were looking into each other's eyes. I couldn't divert my gaze, not even if I wanted to. She rested her forehead against mine. "I promise you, I will come back. Have I ever broken a promise to you?" I shook my head._

_It was true, not once had she ever broken a promise to me, or anyone for that matter._

_She kissed me on the cheek, just like she did Gray and I knew I was blushing just has hard as he had been._

_It took four people to pry a sobbing Happy off of her, but eventually Danny was ready to go. And, I'm not going to lie, I hated it. I didn't want her to leave, especially with the possibility of her never coming back._

_I felt a tear trickle down my cheek as I watched her disappear into the shadows._

_Flashback End_

"And we haven't seen her since," Bisca sighed, glaring at the ground. Alzack put an arm around her shoulders.

"Wow, that's so sad. I can't believe she just left like that. I hope she's alright, having been gone so long," Carla voiced, crossing her stubby paws over her chest.

Lucy was tucked within her own thoughts, not really paying much attention to those around her. She couldn't seem to grasp why this Danny person would leave such a loving and wonderful guild like Fairy Tail. Granted, she had just left on a job, but she shouldn't have been gone this long.

Lucy also wasn't too fond of the notion that Natsu was so close to Danny; though, she wasn't entirely sure why.

"You know, I still remember the day we met Danny," Erza mused, smiling softly. She had a far off look in her eye.

"That was a crazy day," Gray agreed, cracking a grin.

"I know, and it was so long ago too. I believe Danny was probably around nine years old. We all became really protective of her that day," Mira beamed through the tears in her eyes. Her cheeks had long since dried, probably running out of tears to shed, but there was still sadness ever present in her eyes.

"I'll never forget that fear and hurt that she had in her eyes. It was heartbreaking," Laxus murmured, remembering the day they had all met Danny. The rest of the Thunder Legion nodded their heads in agreement.

THAT knocked Lucy out of her stupor. Laxus was acting so vulnerable and sensitive that it honestly scared Lucy. Iit freaked quite a few people out, but he didn't seem to notice or care.

"I remember that day as clearly as the day she left," Gray admitted, covering his face with the palm of his hand as his dark hair shadowed his features.

_Flashback_

_Everyone in the guild hall was enjoying a regular day. Laughter, food, brawls between buddies. This was the norm._

_I was currently in a fight with the ever famous flame brain. _

_Nothing new there._

_We fought so often that Erza always had to come and break us up. I shivered at the though. The redhead always did freak me out._

_I had long since discarded my shirt without even realizing it. Stripping was a habit that I picked up from my previous teacher. I'm not proud of it, but I never really notice whenever I lose my clothes anyway. Someone else always has to point it out._

_Natsu and I were now throwing punches, but Erza soon interjected before we could do any real damage to each other._

_He stomped away, growling something under his breath along the lines of, "Damn ice princess."_

_I rolled my eyes._

_I was about to go sit down and do cards with Cana when I heard a shout from outside._

"_Please, don't hurt me!" A young girl shrieked. I was already running towards the door, along with most of the guild. We could tell it wasn't that far from the hall._

"_I'm sorry! Please leave me alone! I'm sorry if I scared you!" She spluttered. I could tell she was crying by the way her voice was shaking._

_We all burst through the doors to see a little girl, maybe nine, running away from a group of boys. They had a bunch of rocks in their hands and were throwing them at her._

_She stumbled and landed on the rocky ground, probably scraping her knee in the process. It looked like it hurt; I cringed._

_The girl buried her face in her arms as a weak way of protecting herself from the projectiles being tossed at her. Every time a rock hit her, a tiny scratch appeared on her pale skin._

_Taking a second to look around, I noticed that none of the villagers were doing anything! They just looked at the girl like she was the spawn of the devil and let those boys torture her. I was disgusted by them._

_All of the sudden, Laxus had run out in the middle of everything, separating the boys from the poor girl on the ground._

"_Hey, why don't you little brats pick on someone your own size?!" He yelled, his eyes full of a rage I hadn't seen in a long time._

_The boys ran away in fear from the entire guild; we were all glaring at them._

"_I can't believe you would just stand idly by as those boys tormented this poor little girl," Master scolded, glowering intensely at the villagers who did nothing to stop what was happening._

"_That girl is a demon! She does not deserve our help!" A bold lady screeched defiantly. She deflated from the judgmental stares she was receiving from the guild._

_Eventually, all the villagers scattered leaving us alone with the girl._

_She was still on the ground trembling like a leaf in the middle of autumn. I clenched my fists; she did not deserve that kind of treatment._

_Laxus knelt down beside her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She shuddered, cringing away from his touch._

"_Please, don't hurt me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," She kept mumbling that over and over as well as begging us not to hurt her. Laxus backed up, knowing she needed her space at the moment._

"_Why would we ever want to hurt you, little one?" Gramps asked kindly, grinning his boyish grin. It always made him look so much younger than he was._

"_They call me a demon. I'm not a demon! I would never hurt anyone! I was only trying to help!" She sobbed._

_I took a step forward and finally got a good look at her._

_She was petite, skinnier than was probably healthy. Her ashen skin was covered in grime and bruises, so obviously this wasn't the first time she's been beaten like that. Her hands and feet were wrapped in dirty bandages, probably to protect herself from the rocky ground. There was a small trail of blood coming from the gash on her knee from when she fell._

_She was wearing a tattered cream colored dress that looked more like an oversized T-shirt without sleeves. It stopped just above her scrawny knees. The make-shift dress had many patches sewn into it like she had been repurposing it for years; which, honestly, wouldn't surprise me much._

_Her long hair drenched in sweat and filth fell around her like a pool of violet, but it was stringy and unwashed. Finally, she peeked out at us from her arms and almost immediately recoiled; but I saw her eyes._

_They were silver and filled with fear. She had deep bags under her eyes, from lack of sleep no doubt. But she was so scared and so hurt._

"_Why did they call you a demon?" Natsu inquired, cocking his head to the side. He wasn't exactly the most subtle of people, but I'll be damned if I didn't admit I was curious too._

"_Because of my magic," She admitted, slowly getting up from her curled up position on the ground. She stood on shaky legs._

_I took a step forward thinking she was going to fall, but she managed to steady herself._

"_What kind of magic?" Erza prodded, not unkindly. She put a comforting hand on the smaller girl's shoulder; she stiffened but did nothing to stop the gesture._

_The girl held out her hand, palm up. I gasped, as did many others, when I saw tendrils of black shadows swirling around her fingers and wrist._

"_That's so cool!" Natsu yelled excitedly, fist pumping the air._

_The girl drew her hand back in and took a few steps back in fear. Erza's hand dropped._

"_Please don't hurt me," She repeated, "I'm not a demon. I promise!" Tears were streaming down her cheeks, leaving trails in the dirt that was plastered on her face._

"_You have an extraordinary gift, my dear," Makarov praised._

"_W-what?" She stuttered, looking completely lost. I would be too if I was her._

"_We would be honored if you would join our guild and become a part of our family. You look like you could use some friends," He specified, smiling brightly at her._

_She looked uncomfortable. "What's a friend?" She whispered, looking at the ground in shame or embarrassment, I wasn't sure._

"_A friend is someone who is always there for you. Someone who you can trust and feel safe with," I supplied an answer. "We'd all like to be your friends, if you'd let us." I held out my hand to her._

_She hesitated a moment before grasping my hand. My hand completely consumed hers', that's how small she was. Her skin was cold to the touch, similar to mine. I smiled as her._

_Her lips quirked up at the corners the slightest bit. It looked more like a grimace but it was a step in the right direction._

"_What's your name, child?" Master asked._

"_Um, Daniela Nightshade. But, if you don't mind, I prefer to be called Danny," Danny replied, rubbing her arm nervously._

_It wasn't long after that that we found out she was a dragon slayer. Natsu pestered her for about an hour because he thought she knew where the dragons were. She didn't._

_All she told us was that her Dragon, Luna, had trained her and then disappeared the same day Natu's dragon, Igneel, vanished._

_They grew a lot closer after that, both of them being dragon slayers and all. I have to say, I didn't particularly like it, not that I would admit it._

_Flashback End_

"She became a member of Fairy Tail that day and none of us were happier than when she smiled so excitedly after getting her Fairy Tail emblem. Danny wanted purple because it matched her hair," Mira uttered, eyes distant.

Gray wiped a tear that had escaped from his cheek. "Yeah, she had the best smile." He didn't seem to notice Juvia glowering at the admission he just made.

She obviously did not like this Danny girl, even though she hasn't met her.

"We can only hope that she'll come home, with any luck sooner rather than later," Cana commented, taking another swig of her drink.

"I shouldn't have let her go, at least not alone anyway. It's my fault she's not home where she belongs. I knew there was something in that letter that put her on edge," Makarov blamed himself.

"Hey, it's not all your fault master. I should have gone with her, I know what those century missions are like," Gildarts settled, "But, we all know how stubborn she is. There was no talking her out of it and she wouldn't have accepted any help."

"Yeah, you're probably right. But that doesn't stop any of us from missing her," Lisanna quipped, shoulders quivering.

Everyone sighed and fell into another silence. The only sound was Levy's sobs and the occasional sniffle from someone trying to hold back tears.

Hope was all they had left.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - Returning**

It has been about a week since the whole Daniela Nightshade incident and for some reason, the entire guild fell into a sort of funk. None of them smiled much anymore and Lucy was beginning to get really worried.

She did blame herself after all. If only she didn't let curiosity get the better of her. In her defense though, how was she supposed to know that a member of the guild had mysteriously disappeared?

Lucy sighed in exasperation when she walked into the guild only to see everyone as depressed as they had been the last few days.

In all this time, Lucy hadn't gone on a single job because her "team" was too down in the dumps to bother accepting any form of mission.

She was getting really tight on money too.

This whole situation just distressed Lucy; she wasn't used to the guild being this…sad.

"Hey Natsu?" Lucy asked hesitantly. "I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go on a job today? I'm sure you're just as broke as I am right now and maybe it could take your mind off of -"

"No," Natsu interrupted, a little more forceful than Lucy thought was necessary but she didn't comment.

Lucy huffed and went to the bar to sit.

On several occasions, Lucy would catch a member of the guild crying. It always rattled her whenever she saw their tears, not only blaming herself, but also thinking that they were blowing this whole thing out of proportion.

Daniela left, so what?

Then again, Lucy wasn't there so she has no right have an opinion.

A few days prior, Lucy had caught Laxus crying! He quickly wiped away the tears and acted like nothing happened, though Lucy was too shocked to notice.

Levy would burst into a mess of sobs and hiccups at random times. Lucy would just awkwardly watch as Jet and Droy did their best to comfort the petite bluenette, but it was hard when they were near weeping as well.

Elfman, Lisanna, and Mirajane were almost always together whispering and soothing each other. Similarly, Cana and Gildarts were constantly with each other, consoling one another.

The whole thing was rather unsettling and Lucy was beginning to get irritated. This wasn't the way Fairy Tail members were supposed to act.

What bothered Lucy the most, however, was the way Natsu was acting.

He would either be sitting in the dark corner of the guild hall sulking, or he would be staring at that damn picture! Sometimes he was crying silently, other times he was simply spacing out. He hardly talked anymore, or ate, or slept. It wasn't good for him. And Happy was always right by his side, soundless tears streaming down his cheeks at almost all times.

Gray was no better, almost always moping around the hall. He never strips anymore, which is kind of a relief but it's so unlike him!

Juvia constantly tries to cheer up the Ice Wizard, but he never seems to react to her. He would just stare right through her, like he couldn't see Juvia standing right in front of him. Maybe he couldn't, so lost in thought like everyone else.

Now Juvia was crying just as much as Levy with how much she's been ignored.

Even the Thunder Legion was depressed!

Lucy sipped her lemonade, more forcefully than she needed to. Her face was set in a firm scowl, her eyes dark with emotion.

Gajeel acted like nothing had changed, not like he cared much about them in the first place. Well, of course he cared, but he would never dare show it. Sometimes, if Lucy looked at just the right time, she could see Gajeel looking around at the others worriedly before shaking his head and going back to whatever it was he had been doing.

Wendy and Carla were almost never at the guild anymore, preferring not to be around the depressing atmosphere. They were there today, but only because they were hoping to get a job from the request board.

Lucy glanced around at all of the miserable faces of her fellow guild members only to see Natsu looking at that picture, again!

All of the sudden, Lucy was filled with a rage she hadn't felt in a long time. She wasn't sure if it was at the whole guild, just Natsu, maybe herself, or possibly even Danny for disappearing! But, now that she was mad, there was no going back.

"That's it!" Lucy growled, slamming her hands on the table top so hard it shook. Her outburst surprised a few people, causing Wendy and Carla to jump in shock. No one else really seemed to acknowledge her.

Snarling, Lucy rounded on the guild. "I get that you're all sad and worried about Danny! But this is not how Fairy Tail members act! You're supposed to be lively and just happy, not like this at all. You're all acting so depressed and pathetic that it makes me sick!

"Danny left, SHE LEFT! It was her choice and she hasn't come back in five years! What does that say, huh?! Maybe she was looking for a way out, I don't know. But what I do know is that you are all way to hung up on her!

"Just get over it already! She's not coming back, not this late into the game. For all we know, she's probably dead. Just forget about her and move on!" Lucy screamed, shaking with the amount of emotion she let out. Her eyes were scrunched shut and her hands were fisted at her sides, knuckles white.

Finally calming down and realizing what she had just made public, Lucy gasped and settled her racing heart. Cracking an eye open, Lucy never wanted to disappear more than she did right then and there.

Juvia, Pantherlily, Wendy, and Carla were staring at her, shocked.

Gajeel looked more proud of her than anything, though a little miffed at the way she worded it. Even he knew what was crossing the line, and she definitely had.

Some people in the guild had resigned to sobbing again at the memories. But most of them, as in all but like three, were glaring at her like she was the most wicked thing on the planet.

Natsu and Makarov especially, were practically shaking in anger.

"She's right, you know," An achingly familiar voice quipped from the guild hall doors.

Natsu's eyes widened to the size of saucers. He turned around so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. That was completely forgotten when his eyes landed on the figure standing in the doorway.

Danny…was back.

She was leaning against the frame of the now wide open doors. They hadn't even heard them open!

Her hands were stuffed into the pockets of a pair of black shorts that stopped well above mid thigh. Her legs crossed at her ankles and a pair of knee high black converse adorned her feet, tied with white laces. The hilt of her father's dagger stuck out of the right shoe.

Somehow, Danny seemed so much taller…it was weird. Granted, it had been five years, but she used to be so small! What happened?

No doubt she was still shorter than most of the guys, but she wasn't too vertically challenged.

Danny now had curves, though extremely subtle. Whereas Lucy was overly curvy and bodacious, Danny looked much more delicate. It didn't help that she was also so skinny, just like when she was little. At first everyone thought she was thin because of malnutrition, which was partially true, but Danny was naturally skinny. However, her muscles were more prominent, like she had gone through rigorous training while away.

Her skin was still its ashen color and appeared incredibly smooth.

The purple scarf that resembled Natsu's so much was tied around her slim waist like a belt, the two ends hanging limply on her right hip and draping down her leg.

Danny had on a white, sleeveless hoodie with the hood draped around her shoulders. And her black duffle, not without tears or stains, was sat on the ground next to her feet. Her once long hair was now short and styled similarly to Gray's haircut, though a bit longer. The violet color was a stark contrast to her pale skin.

That wasn't all that was new…oh no, not even close.

Her left arm was etched with dozens of scars, standing out on her light skin tone. Some were long and others not so much, but all were uneven and gruesome. Some scars disappeared behind her shoulder, so they assumed there was more. Her mother's bracelet hung lazily from her wrist and her amethyst Fairy Tail emblem was still present on her bicep.

Danny's right arm, however, was inked with black symbols that none of them recognized. They seemed ancient, and the dark color was harsh in contrast to the whiteness of her flesh. The symbols traveled from her fingers, winding together like branches of a tree, all the way up her arm and even onto her chest, just above her heart. They could see it because the v-neck of her hoodie was slightly low.

She just…seemed so casual! Standing there, hands in pockets and glancing around the guild lazily.

"What…what do you mean? Lucy's right?" Gray choked out, eyes still wide and unblinking.

"Well," Danny began, her voice a little deeper than they remembered but not too different, "I mean that you shouldn't have been so hung up on me. I'm nothing special," she shrugged, "But I'm flattered none the less." A small smile etched its way onto her features.

She was acting like the last five years hadn't even happened! How could she do that, always so aloof and accepting?

"Daniela, my child. You've returned," Makarov breathed, looking like he was staring at a ghost. He probably thought he was. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, thinking that when he opened them she would be gone.

But everybody could see her.

Danny sighed, straightening from her lax position in the entryway. "How many times have I told you, call me Danny," She joked, chuckling lightly. She began to walk towards Makarov, him being the closest to her actually. He had taken a few steps forward when he saw her.

"Love what you've done with the place, by the way," Danny commented, having quickly glanced around at the newly built guild hall. Her hair cast shadows over her face, shielding her from view.

Eventually, she stopped in front of the master and crossed her arms over her chest.

Makarov looked up at her dumbly, blinking a few more times. His small form was trembling slightly and he looked close to tears.

Unexpectedly, he threw his arms around her legs and hugged her tightly. Danny stumbled for a second but caught herself before they both toppled over.

She smiled, placing a delicate hand on his head. "I'm back and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon. I'm home, finally," She breathed, emotion pouring through her voice.

After a few more seconds, Makarov released his grip on her and really took a moment to scrutinize her new appearance. That's when he noticed. "Daniela, show me your face," He ordered, glowering at her.

The others looked on in confusion.

Danny sighed. "C'mon, it's literally two syllables. Dan-ny. Not that hard," She mumbled, raising an ink stained hand up to her hair to push it out of the way. The shadows had hid her well. Running her fingers through the violet locks, Danny swept her hair out of her face.

Everybody gasped.

Three long and jagged claw marks trailed from well passed Danny's hairline on the right side, diagonally across her face and stopping just under her chin. They were different lengths and took over most of her features.

It was hard to notice the slight point of her nose or the light pink of her lips. The rosiness her cheeks once had when she was young was now gone and her cheekbones were more prominent.

Her eyes though, still startling silver, contained a sadness that no one had seen since they met her that fateful day eight years ago.

"What happened?!" Makarov roared, only concerned for the well-being of his child.

Danny rubbed her scarred arm absentmindedly. "It's a rather long and particularly unimportant story that I don't really want to get into right about now. The point is, I'm back and I'm fine," She reassured, though no one was actually convinced.

"UNIMPORTANT?!" Gray suddenly bellowed. His clenched fists were shaking and his dark hair shielded his expression. However, Danny saw him gritting his teeth so hard that his jaw trembled and his shoulders quaked.

"How could you say that?" He continued, barely above a whisper now. "You disappear with little to no explanation and then just show up without warning. You look like you were torn to shreds and sewn back together by a toddler and yet you think it's unimportant. Stop acting like your life doesn't matter, because it does."

A tear slipped down his cheek.

Everyone just stared, not knowing what to do but silently agreeing with what Gray said.

Danny walked calmly towards him, face an expressionless mask. Her steps were light and, even in the intense silence that followed Gray's outburst, barely made a sound on the cobble stone floors.

Finally reaching him, Danny placed both her hands on Gray's shoulders, causing him to look at her through the strings of his hair. Without a word, she pulled him into an embrace. Her slender arms wound around his neck and she buried her face in the space between his neck and collarbone.

Her breath was hot on his skin and he repressed a shudder. He stood there stiffly while Danny hugged him.

"I know, you're right. I'm sorry. It's just, it was really complicated…when I left. There was so much happening at once, and I couldn't figure anything out. There was a lot of stuff that I didn't tell you guys and I'm sorry for that too," She whispered, but it was so quiet that everyone heard her admission. "All I can do is apologize and hope that you'll forgive me."

Almost hesitantly, Gray wrapped his arms around Danny's slim waist and rested his chin on the top of her head, closing his eyes. He relished the feeling of her in his arms again.

All too soon, in Gray's opinion, Danny was wretched from his grasp and practically tossed in the other direction. She caught herself before she could hit the ground.

"Stay away from my beloved Gray! You are now my rival!" Juvia screeched, pointing accusingly at Danny. Honestly, everyone was surprised Juvia lasted as long a she did.

Danny was momentarily confused and then she grinned, the scars on her face stretching with the movement. "You must be Juvia, a new member of the guild," She proclaimed, stuffing her hands in her pockets again.

"How did you-" Juvia started, only to be cut off.

"Let's say, I have my sources," Danny smirked, and winked mischievously. "Wait, where's Laxus?!" She suddenly demanded, looking around rapidly.

Laxus raised a brow and cleared his throat to get her attention. Danny whipped around to face him and narrowed her eyes. He gulped, wishing he hadn't called attention to himself.

Danny stormed up to him and smacked him on the back of the head.

"Ow! What was that for?!" Laxus hissed, rubbing the now sore spot on his head.

"That was for being stupid enough to get yourself kicked out of the guild," Danny growled glaring. Laxus lowered his head in shame. Danny's eyes softened and she ruffled his hair with a small chuckle. "Now give me a hug."

"Huh?"

"Hey, you may have done some stupid stuff, but we all have. The point is, you learned from your mistake and I missed you just as much as I missed everyone else," Danny summed, holding open her arms and grinning.

Laxus chuckled and drew her into a hug, wrapping his large arms around her small frame. Nobody really knew how close they were, before she left. They had kept their friendship more secretive; Laxus didn't want to ruin his "reputation".

After a few moments, Danny released him and stepped away; still smiling.

The other guild members couldn't take it and Danny was attacked with hugs.

First was Levy, Jet, and Dray practically suffocating her. "We missed you!" They chorused, Levy still sobbing.

"Missed…you…too…losing…air!" Danny choked, but grinning at their antics.

Just as her face was beginning to turn blue, Danny was pulled into another embrace; three pairs of arms wrapped around her protectively.

Mirajane on Danny's right, Lisanna on her left, and Elfman had his large arms enclosed around them from behind. They weren't as tight as the previous hug and Danny sighed contentedly, realizing just how much she actually missed them.

Danny sniggered when she realized they were sobbing into her now wet shoulders. "C'mon guys, no more tears," She soothed, then something seemed to strike her and she rounded on Lisanna. "I heard you died! I cried for a month straight! What the hell?!" She emphasized, poking Lisanna in the face and arms.

Lisanna giggled. "I was never actually dead," Lisanna continued when Danny looked at her completely confused. "It's a really long story, I'll tell you later." Danny nodded, smiling softly; relieved beyond belief that her friend was alive.

Danny was then passed onto Alzack and Bisca. They each draped an arm over her shoulders and smiled at her. "Glad to have you back," Alzack muttered, his voice shaking with emotion. Bisca was practically falling apart with happiness she couldn't even speak. Danny simply nodded and hugged them back.

She hugged Max, then Warren, then Nab, then Vijeeter, then Laki, and then Reedus; which felt like she was hugging a big pillow. Embrace after embrace; Danny was overwhelmed. It seemed everyone shed a few tears by now, except for Danny; though she was ecstatic to be back, she couldn't cry. Crying was something she wouldn't let herself do anymore, not in over 12 years.

With a quick embrace with Cana and Gildarts ruffling her hair, Danny noticed a few differences between the two.

She gasped, they looked at her confused. "Did you finally tell him?!"

"Yeah, actually," Cana replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.

"You knew?! Did everyone know that I was her father except me?!" Gildarts exclaimed, fisting his hair in his hands as he stared at them wildly.

Danny nodded, "Yeah, pretty much. I'm happy for you guys. Sure took long enough."

"Sure did miss you, little lady," Wakaba joked, resting his elbow on Danny's head since she was so much shorter than him. Macao followed his example on her other side.

Danny rolled her eyes at them. "I get that I was gone for a long time but this is a little over the top, don't you think? Oh my God!" She burst, having forgotten her original point all together. "Romeo?!"

Romeo grinned at her and nodded.

"No way! What happened to the cute little toddler I left behind?! You're all grown up; sure makes me feel a lot older than I am," Danny huffed, ruffling his hair and poking his cheek making him giggle.

"I missed you, Danny!" Romeo wrapped his arms around her legs, snuggling her stomach.

Freed leaned his elbow on Danny's left shoulder, Bickslow on her right and smiling manically with his tongue hanging out. Evergreen was behind her, folding her arms on the shorter girl's head and resting her chin on them.

Danny huffed and rolled her eyes.

"We missed you, welcome back," Freed whispered in her ear, cracking a small smile on his normally expressionless face.

"Damn right we did!" Bickslow agreed.

"Don't you dare think about leaving us again, we will hunt you down," Evergreen warned, though humor shined in her eyes as well as relief.

No one realized how close Danny had been with the entire Thunder Legion; they were shocked to say the least.

"Danny," said an eerily calm voice from behind the embracing group.

Danny stood stiff and slowly turned around. "Now Erza, don't do anything hasty. I know I was gone for a long time and didn't really keep in contact like I should have, but I'm back! So please don't-" Danny's rambling was cut off by two metal plaited arms grabbing her.

"Shut up," Erza whispered, her voice trembling for once.

Danny's eyes were wide and she was spluttering, not expecting this at all. Almost hesitantly, Danny wound her slender arms around Erza's armor, still shocked.

Everyone was smiling warmly at them.

They separated after a few moments, Danny in stunned silence and Erza in a contented stupor.

Danny was actually back, the guild was whole again.

Danny stood, smiling at everyone but she couldn't help but feel like something was missing. More like someone.

Almost as if he had read her mind, Danny felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her midsection from behind, locking in place.

Natsu buried his face in the space between her neck and collarbone, taking a deep breath against her skin. She smelled just like he remembered, like fresh rain. He unsuccessfully tried to hold in his tears, but they dripped onto her shoulder anyway not that she cared.

Danny could feel Natsu's rapidly beating heart on her back. And tuffs of his pink hair tickled her cheeks.

Natsu loosened his arms for a split second, but didn't let her go. It was long enough for Danny to whirl around and hug him back. He felt strong in her arms; she realized how much he had grown up while she was gone. He was almost an entire head taller than her.

His form practically swallowed her petite figure.

Moments later, Danny felt a pair of furry paws slip around the back of her neck and she snuggled the fluff. She knew it was Happy.

"I don't want to let you go, I'm afraid you'll disappear again. Don't go," Natsu whimpered, choking on a sob.

Danny shook her head. "Hey, I'm not going anywhere. I promised you I'd come back, and I did. And I'm promising you now, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon," She vowed, tightening her grip. "I never break my promises. No more tears, okay?"

Natsu nodded, slowly releasing her though he would like nothing more than to hold her for the rest of eternity. Happy, too, let go and simply hovered next to her.

Natsu's eyes drifted to the scars on Danny's arm and face. He was only inches from her now.

He gently ran his fingers over the lines etched into her skin. Lifting her arm up, Natsu's calloused hands simply felt the indentations. Danny closed her eyes to the feeling.

Feather light touches simply grazed over the marks on her face and Danny didn't dare move a centimeter, let alone open her eyes.

Everyone's expressions grew sad, thoughts swirling around their minds about what Danny might have gone through while she was gone. Where could those scars have come from?

Lucy was shaking with rage, clenched fists and white knuckles. Why did she hate them embracing so much? Was she jealous? Or did she just not like Danny? Maybe both? She didn't really know.

"Natsu," Danny whispered, her voice sounding tight. He looked at her. "Stop. I know you're curious and worried and probably angry; don't torture yourself by trying to figure out what happened."

Natsu nodded, his hands dropping to his sides.

"Now," Danny suddenly said, changing the subject. "Time to meet the newbies!"

Looking around, Danny spotted a few new faces.

"Let's see, I already met Juvia. Uses water magic and was a part of the Elemental Four from the Phantom Lord guild, but has now turned over a new leaf. Similar to…" Danny thought for a moment as she looked around. "Gajeel!"

Danny was pointing at the Iron Dragon Slayer with a kind smile.

"You're also from Phantom Lord and you're an Iron Dragon Slayer," Danny declared. "That's super cool actually, and I'm glad there are more dragon slayers in the guild."

She walked up to him and examined him. Gajeel gulped under her intense gaze.

"Uh, hi?" His deep voice sounded unsure and rather wary of the quirky girl standing in front of him.

"Awesome piercings," Danny smirked, holding out her pale hand.

Gajeel eyed it for a second before grinning and shaking her hand. "Good to know there's someone here who appreciates the dark."

"You have no idea," Danny mumbled mysteriously.

"I am Pantherlily, but everyone calls me Lily," Pantherlily introduced, having turned into his full form. "I'm not sure if you've heard of me, but-"

"Actually I have," Danny interrupted, smirking and eyeing him. "That's an impressive trick, you must be able to do some real damage."

"Of course," Pantherlily replied, grinning with pride. He eagerly shook her hand as well.

"Okay, so where's Wendy? I want to meet the other Dragon Slayer in the guild," Danny stated, more to herself than anyone else.

"Uh, here?" Wendy flushed, raising her hand into the air.

Danny walked up to her and simply sat on the ground cross legged with her hands on her knees. "You're adorable, I hope you know that. But you're also very powerful, which I admire in a female wizard. You'll do great things kid, greater than what you've already accomplished; which is a lot more than I did at your age. But still, simply adorable," Danny chuckled, ruffling Wendy's deep blue hair.

"Oh, uh thanks I guess? I haven't heard very much about you, but I'd like to get to know you!" Wendy giggled, rocking back and forth on her heals.

Danny's eyes moved to the white exeed standing idly on the ground next to Wendy.

"You must be Carla," Danny surmised, holding out a hand in greeting. "It's a pleasure."

"Quite," Carla agreed, shaking hand/paw.

Danny stood back up. "Why do I feel like I'm forgetting…oh that's right! Where's Lucy?" Danny asked, looking around innocently.

"That's me, I guess," Lucy sounded withdrawn and kind of bored. She didn't want to meet Danny, not personally. She didn't like Danny and she absolutely didn't want to be her friend.

"A celestial wizard, right?" Danny clarified, raising a brow. Lucy nodded. "By any chance, do you happen to have the key of a certain Leo the Lion?" Danny asked, smiling in anticipation.

"You mean Loke? I thought you left before he joined this guild?" Lucy inquired, knitting her brows together.

"I knew him when he still had a contract with Karen, way back," Danny brushed off the question, "I just want to talk to him. Could you do me a favor and maybe summon him?" Danny seemed unsure of herself, which was odd considering she seemed so confident before.

Maybe it something to do with the way Lucy was obviously glaring at her. Danny shrunk back under her gaze. "Never mind, I'll talk to him another time," Danny muttered.

Natsu and a few other glowered at Lucy for the way she was treating Danny, but she didn't seem to notice or care.

"So," Makarov began, "Are you going to explain yourself, why you left and why it took so long for you to return, or are we going to have to pry it out of you?" The warning was evident in his tone, but Danny knew he was only trying to be a good master who cared deeply for his children.

Danny sighed, obviously hoping to avoid the subject but knowing it was inevitable. "You really want to know? It's not the most pleasant of tales."

Everyone nodded eagerly.

"Hell yeah we wanna know why you left!" Natsu trumpeted, staring into her silver eyes seriously.

Danny closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Alright, gather around my children, it's story time!" She joked, hopping up onto the counter of the bar and sitting cross legged with her hands on her knees.

They all either grabbed a chair and took a seat or leaned up against a table. Lucy, however, separated herself from the reunion and in stead reast against a wall off to the side with her arms crossed over her chest.

Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes. They were overreacting in her opinion.

"Where to begin…hmmm. What do you want to know?" Danny shrugged, trying to make this as painless as possible.

"Something I've always been curious about, it's bugged me since the day you left among other things, is that letter. Remember, the one with no return address? What did it say?" Gray asked softly. He wasn't looking at her, but he was staring at his hands in his lap.

"Man, I gotta go way back if you want me to explain that," Danny drawled, scratching her tilted head with her eyes closed. Her expression looked troubled with her brows furrowed and her lips in a frown. The scars on her face made her look so mature, so much older and so tired.

So much for painless.

Natsu was confused. "What do you mean? I get that it was five years ago, but all you have to do is tell us what the letter said," He remarked.

"If only it were that simple," Danny sighed.

They watched as she reached into her sweater pocket and pulled out…the letter? She kept it all these years?

The parchment was creased and smudged, the ink less clear. There were spots of dirt and what resembled blood on its surface; they hoped their eyes were deceiving them.

"Yeah, I could read it to you, just as simple as that. However, it would bring up at least 100 other questions so I might as well start from the beginning," Danny explained, her eyes still closed. She took a deep breath. "There was a lot you didn't know about me, about my life before I joined Fairy Tail. You never asked how my parents died or pressured me when I was in one of my moods. I appreciate that, but now I think you deserve to know.

"Anyway, My parents died when I was four, I believe I had told you that much already. Something you didn't know was, well, I had a brother. He was older than me, ten at the time while I was still a toddler," Her voice was calm and resolute; they stared at her stunned. Danny's eyes remained closed. "That night, it was raining really hard. My brother and I were in the sitting room of our little house wrapped up in blankets. Our parents were making hot chocolate.

"Then, all of the sudden, there was a crash from in the kitchen. A window had been broken and there were people in our house. Next thing I knew, my brother had thrown us over the back of the couch and held me close to him in a feeble attempt of protection; he was only ten after all. His hand was over my mouth so that he could silence my heavy breathing; I was so confused. Then, there was yelling. So much yelling and Dad was saying something about whomever it was not laying a hand on his children. I guess they were there for us. My mom screamed, the sound echoed for a few moments before everything was quiet. The silence was terrifying, I remember trembling like a leaf.

"I heard footsteps, they were approaching the couch. I had squeaked when a picture dropped and broke on the ground. My brother buried me in the blankets, making me unrecognizable while he slowly inched out from behind the couch. I'm not sure if he thought they were gone or if he was just being stupid, but next thing I know he's wretched away from me and the door slams. I stayed on the ground for maybe an hour, hoping they were gone and I would crawl out to see my family smiling. When I did move, I was so stiff and my vision was blurred because I had been crying. When I peaked around the corner of the couch, I didn't see anything except the broken picture lying in pieces on the ground.

"I went to the kitchen, hoping to find my parents there with cups of hot chocolate and my brother sitting in his favorite chair with his drink. I was so wrong. My mom was lying on the ground next to the broken window. A pool of blood had already settled around her. When I waddled up to her, my little four year old legs hardly keeping me upright, I saw her slit throat and wide lifeless eyes. Her face was stuck in an expression of fear. My dad was slouched on the ground, up against some cabinets. There were two huge slash marks across his chest, blood still flowing from the wounds.

"I screamed and ran. I was looking for my brother but I couldn't find him anywhere. Not in the sitting room, not in any of the bedrooms, not in the closet or the bathroom. I checked the backyard and all around the house, even our favorite tree a few blocks down but I couldn't find him. I figured he was dead somewhere too. And there was so much blood, all I saw was red. I didn't even realize that I was crying until I felt my eyes stinging. I just kind of shut down, stopped crying, and I ran. I didn't stop running for days. No food, or sleep. That's when Luna, the dragon, found me and began training me. For a while, I was happy again. When she disappeared, I shut down again and lived on the streets. Traveling town to town and trying to help people with my magic. As you know, they all called me demon and criticized me. A few years later, I stumbled onto Fairy Tail, and you know the rest," Danny finished, taking another shaky breath.

"Yeah, that's tragic. But, what does any of that have to do with the letter?" Lucy bit out impatiently.

Everybody glared at her, but she didn't regret what she said.

Danny simply chuckled, though there was no humor in it. "I get the feeling you don't like me very much. Honestly, I don't really blame you." She ran her slender fingers through her messy violet locks as she stared at Lucy with what almost looked like hurt in her silver eyes.

Lucy's shoulders sagged and she looked away, grumbling incoherently under her breath.

"Danny," Erza spoke, gaining the pale girl's attention. "What did the letter say?" She asked softly.

Danny fingered the torn parchment in her hands for a moment. "This letter…it just," She couldn't seem to find the right words. "Like I said, I thought my brother was dead, but this note…someone found him and told me where he was." She wasn't looking at them, just staring at the crumpled paper.

"W-what?" Levy stammered, looking as thoroughly confused as everyone else.

Danny jumped off the counter and began to kind of pace. She only ever did this when she was having trouble with her thoughts, they knew because she had done it so often before.

She stuffed her hands in her pockets, having left the letter on the counter she had been sitting on. "They told me where he was. I hadn't told you about him and I didn't want to because I didn't want to get my hopes up. Telling someone would just make it real, give me false hope. And I didn't want anybody to come with, it was something I had to do on my own. I was going to find my brother, who had been missing for eight years by then!" She babbled, her words slurring together. Danny was hardly breathing while she was talking.

"So, you took that century job as a cover to find your brother?" Laxus clarified, furrowing his brows in concentration.

"Well, yeah. I didn't know how long I would be gone and a regular job would have been too short," Danny answered, ruffling her hair and sighing.

"So, did you find him?" Gildarts pressed, watching her stiffen at the question.

"Oh, I found him all right," Danny breathed, not meeting any of their eyes.

"So, can we meet him?!" Mira asked jovially, smiling brightly. It'd be nice to gain a new member for the guild.

Danny's shoulder slumped. "That'll be kinda difficult," She whispered.

"What? Why? Where is he?" Lisanna questioned.

"Buried six feet under," Danny deadpanned, looking at them completely serious. Her scars made her even more intimidating.

They all gasped.

"How?" Freed choked out feeling his throat closing up slightly.

"It's how I found him," Danny explained, running a hand through her hair again. She seemed to be doing that a lot recently. "I'm guessing that whoever sent the letter was also the person, or people, who killed my parents. I found him chained to a wall in an abandoned warehouse thing; beaten, scarred, and dead. Blood everywhere, but he had been dead for a long time. I could tell, and I just walked away. I couldn't handle it. I had him buried, said my goodbyes, and went on the mission I had accepted. That was that."

Natsu got up and placed a conforting hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off and took a few steps back. Her gaze had traveled to the ground and her hair was shadowing her face again.

"Danny-" Natsu began, reaching out to her.

"No," She interrupted. "I don't want your pity. What's done is done. I've accepted it and I moved on. I'm sure that whoever tortured him were the same people who kidnapped him when we were kids, the same people who killed my parents. They're trying to break me," She mused simply.

"Why? Who are they?" Gray yelled, standing up so fast his chair was knocked over.

"I try not to think about it," Danny answered, shrugging like it was nothing.

They didn't like the idea of someone being out to 'break', as she put it, Danny. They just got her back and they wanted her safe.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, how did you get those scars?" Wendy inquired, tilting her head to the side.

"Wendy," Carla seemed aghast with her question. "Respect her privacy. She's already explained so much, let her have a break!"

"Oh," Wendy deflated, "Sorry."

Danny chuckled. "Don't be, I understand curiosity well enough. That one is actually a whole lot easier to explain," Danny began, sitting cross legged on the counter again and putting the letter back into her pocket. They didn't understand why she still kept it.

"So, basically I had gone on the job. I was fighting a rampaging demon like 100 meters tall, super intimidating right? Anyway, it had only been a month or two since the whole thing with my brother. I let myself get distracted with my thought in the middle of a fight like an idiot and the big guy swiped at me a few times. Completely shredding my arms and tearing apart my back, not to mention I almost lost an eye when I got these," She pointed to the pale lines on her face. "I, honestly, thought I was going to die. Not going to lie, death wasn't entirely unwelcome because at the time I was still hung up on my brother. But I didn't! And I trained for a good couple of years before I fought him again."

"And, did you win?" Gildarts raised a brow.

Danny grinned. "Oh, absolutely. Guy wasn't as tough as he looked."

"What about those sweet tattoos? I'm guessing you didn't have those before you left?" Gajeel mused, smirking at her with his arms crossed. He felt bad for her, of course, but she didn't want pity so he wasn't going to give it to her.

"Eh, no these are semi-new. I've had them for about three years now. And they're not just a fashion statement if that's what you're thinking," Danny laughed, staring at her inked arm.

"What do you mean?" Makarov furrowed his brow.

"Like I said, I went into training. Not just enhancing my Dragon Slayer abilities, I actually learned a whole new form of magic on top of it. It's an ancient magic, called Soul Magic," Danny answered, shrugging.

"I've never heard of that," Mira voiced.

"Nor have I," Erza agreed.

"I'm not surprised. It's a very old form of magic, one of the firsts ever practiced. I'm the only one in existence who has been able to master it; it's always just been an idea, no one's ever accomplished it before," Danny stated as if it were obvious.

They were as confused as ever.

"Then, how come you could do it?" Happy squeaked, settling down next to her on the counter.

Danny scoffed. "Whoever tried to study it, they were making it way more complicated than it needed to be. They were looking at it the wrong way and they didn't understand the meaning of these symbols," She motioned to her arm. "The whole point of Soul Magic is to link it with your soul, which is what these marks do. They have to become a part of you which is why I got these tattoos. I trained for about two years and then it took another year to perfectly master. I fought the demon for about a year and then I started heading here."

"Can we see the magic?" Lisanna asked eagerly.

Danny yawned, stretching her arms above her head and arching her back. "Maybe some other time. I really need to get some sleep; I've been walking for like six days straight. I'm actually surprised I lasted this long," She giggled, rubbing her eyes with her fists.

It was adorable.

"Where are you staying?" Makarov asked, knowing she had gotten rid of her apartment before she left so long ago.

"Eh, probably a hotel or something," Danny shrugged, hopping off the counter. She strolled over to her duffle bag still on the ground near the door.

"Good riddance," Lucy mumbled under her breath when Danny passed her.

Nobody else seemed to hear her besides Danny. She paused for a moment, glanced at Lucy out of the corner of her eye, then continued walking.

"Hey, why waste money on a hotel?!" Natsu shouted, jogging to catch up to her as an idea formed in his head. "You should just stay with me and Happy! At least until you get your own place."

Danny smiled warmly at him. "I'd like that," She whispered, looking deep into his eyes.

He grinned his infamous grin, feeling happier than he had in a long time.

Lucy growled under her breath, not liking anything that was happening.


	3. Chapter 3

**So before I start this chapter, there are few things that I want to clear up. I have gotten great reviews and I appreciate that from everybody! There were some questions that I want to answer.**

**What level in the story is this taking place?** So, I kinda made this a little AU. You know how after the battle in the sacred island where everyone is basically frozen in time for seven years until they are found by the future members of the guild? Well, I kinda changed it to where they were never frozen in time and instead were able to go home. I just didn't really like that part, where they missed so much of their lives. So yeah.

**If Danny was on a century mission, why was she back so early? **Remember how Gildarts went on a century mission and came back three years later, even though he didn't complete it. The whole point of a century mission is for an incredibly power wizard (i.e. Danny and Gildarts) to accept so that it is completed in less than a century. It wasn't as difficult a job as Danny had originally thought and she spent a lot of time training and learning a new form of magic so that she could complete the job.

**What team was Danny on before she left and what team will she be on now? **Danny was always a bit of a loner. She mainly went on S-class missions before she left so she never really went with anyone. Sometimes she would go on simpler jobs with other members of the guild, especially Natsu. But, overall, she went on mission solo; like Mistogan, except she was home more often. I think she'll stay that way. I mean, Natsu will want her to go on a few jobs with him and his team, and she could never say no to her best friend. She won't really have time to get used to things being normal though, because the threat of the dark guild Demon's Cross with ruin everything.

**So I hope that cleared things up. Be sure to review and ask any more questions you have. If you have any ideas for me, I'd love to hear them!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3 - Getting Reacquainted <strong>

It was nearly sunset by the time Danny, Natsu, and Happy made it to Natsu's house. He doesn't live that far away from the guild, but they had been so caught up in talking and joking around that they didn't realize how late it had gotten.

"I missed the sunsets here," Danny whispered thoughtfully.

The purples, oranges, pinks, and blues of the horizon made Danny's pale skin glow. But Natsu's eyes always drifted towards her scars and he just felt so…guilty, for not being able to protect her like he had promised all those years ago.

"They are beautiful, aren't they," Natsu agreed, though he wasn't looking at the sky. His eyes remained transfixed on the girl standing next to him. She smiled softly and closed her eyes, relishing the warmth of the disappearing sun.

"Let's head inside, it's getting late," Danny remarked, about to pick up her duffle again. Natsu beat her to it, already having it slung over his shoulder. "I can get that, you know," Danny joked, rolling her eyes.

"I know, but you just got back. I bet you're exhausted. Just let me do this one thing for you," Natsu replied, the resolve in his voice ever present.

Danny sighed, but nodded anyway.

She had to admit, her back was aching from having to carry that bag everywhere, not to mention how she hadn't slept in almost six nights. Danny didn't have the strength to argue.

Happy was flying behind them with a contented smile on his face. He didn't say much, but he was so ecstatic that Danny was back that words weren't necessary.

He missed the way she would play with him. He missed the amazing taste of the fish she used to cook him. He missed everything about her and it seemed impossible that she was back. He was almost afraid that when they woke up in the morning, she wouldn't be there.

Danny's feet dragged on the ground as she followed the two wizards to their home. She was really beginning to feel the lack of sleep.

She smiled and lightly chuckled when she saw Happy laughing at Natsu after he tripped over a stick. "Alright, let's get home before you really injure yourself," Danny jabbed as she helped him off the ground.

He smiled sheepishly at her while rubbing the back of his neck.

Eventually, they made it to the little home. Vines grew up and intertwined over the walls of the house and it was surrounded by trees. It looked just like it had before Danny had left and she smiled at the familiarity. At least not everything changed while she was gone.

Danny felt like she missed out on so much and she almost felt like she didn't belong anymore because she wasn't there to experience so many things with her friends.

Of course, none of the others believed this, but Danny was wondering if she did the right thing by coming back. Did she even fit in anymore? How much actually changed? Would they still want her around even if she changed too? Maybe they didn't want her around anymore? Where else would she go, though?

These troubling thoughts seemed to completely escape Danny's mid when she saw Natsu grinning like mad and beckoning her to the entrance of their home.

"C'mon!" He called, waving his arms every which way.

"I'm coming, calm down," Danny replied, smiling.

Natsu held his hand out to her and she accepted the gesture. They intertwined their fingers as Natsu led Danny into the house.

Danny glanced around at the messy room and smiled. She knew Natsu wasn't the cleanest, but that just means one more thing that didn't change about him and she was grateful.

Natsu flushed and scrambled around to pick up a few things to make the place a little more presentable. He wasn't sure why exactly, but he didn't want her to see how messy his home was. Happy helped too.

"I-I'm sorry, i-it's pretty messy. I s-should h-have cleaned up, but I didn't know you'd be here. Not that I'm not glad you're back, I couldn't be happier actually!" Natsu stammered, but stopped when he heard chuckling from behind him.

Danny was leaning in the doorway, trying her best to hold in her laughter but failing miserably. Eventually, she dissolved into fits of giggles and had to hold her stomach from the pain.

"You never used to be this jittery before, but it's cute," Danny grinned, wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye.

Natsu blushed when he realized she called him cute, but he grinned back.

"Yeah, it's just really surprising to see you. I guess my mind is still trying to catch up," Natsu admitted, rubbing his arm nervously.

He didn't know why he was so nervous, this was Danny for God's sake. Little orphaned, smiley, curious, childish Danny. Quirky, loud, excited, helpful Danny.

But this isn't the same Danny, not the same one that left. Sure, they have the same name and similar looks, but Danny grew up a lot while she was gone and Natsu couldn't help but notice.

She was taller, more mature. She had curves that Natsu did his best not to gawk at. Danny was muscular and toned. Her scars made her look so strong and yet so damaged. Her tattoos gave her an air of mystery and danger. But the familiarity of her eyes and the scarf he gave her reminded him of the friend he lost so long ago.

Natsu put down her duffle bag and strolled up to her with purpose.

Danny simply stared at him as he grew closer.

Natsu placed both his hands on either side of her face and stared into her silver eyes, mesmerized. Danny looked up at him innocently, returning his flaming gaze.

She reached up a pale hand and placed it over his on her right cheek. She closed her eyes as she savored the feeling.

Natsu momentarily glanced at the black ink forever stained into Danny's right hand, then back at her peaceful face. Her closed eyes and slightly parted lips as she breathed calmly.

He just stared at her.

This was his way of making sure she was really there, that she wasn't just some crazy hallucination or insane dream. He needed to be sure that he won't just wake up any second only for her to still be gone. He's had those dreams before.

"You're really here," Natsu choked out, hardly believing it. "After all this time, you're really back. These last couple of hours I thought were just a dream, but they're not. I know they're not because every time I dreamed about you, which was a lot by the way, I could never touch you. I could never reach you."

"I am here, Natsu. And I don't plan on going anywhere," Danny replied, opening her eyes and smiling at him.

Natsu gave in and wrapped his arms around her neck, holding her as close as possible to him. He still didn't close his eyes, but he could feel her relax into his embrace as she wound her arms around his middle.

"I won't lose you, not again," Natsu vowed, tightening his arms.

"You never lost me in the first place, I was always going to come back. I made a promise, remember?" Danny voiced, loving the feeling of protection Natsu gave her. It's been a long time since she felt this safe.

After a few more moments of embracing, the two separated and fully entered the small home. Natsu closed and locked the door behind them.

Danny grabbed a few clothes from her duffle and disappeared into the bathrrom.

Natsu quickly changed into some pajama pants, making sure his scarf was still wrapped around his neck, and settled himself onto his bed while he waited. There was only one bed in the house, so they would have to share. He didn't mind though, they shared a bed hundreds of times before she left. It would be just like before.

Happy rested himself on the pillow at the foot of the bed. That's where he usually slept. Soon, he was fast asleep with a satisfied smile on his little blue face.

Eventually, Danny came out of the bathroom. She had showered, her hair wet and sticking to her face and neck. She wore a black tank top and long gray pants that covered her feet. Her scarf was wrapped around her neck a few times and draped over her shoulders.

"Hey," She smiled, her eyes shining.

"Hey," Natsu replied, a little breathless. The way her skin glowed after the shower, still slightly damp and her darker than dark hair hanging in strings around her face, it made his throat dry. He didn't understand these feelings, he wasn't sure if he wanted to understand these feelings, but they weren't entirely unwelcome.

"Remember when you gave me this scarf?" Danny said conversationally as she sat on the edge of the bed, folding her legs under her.

"Yeah," Natsu grinned at the memory. "You wouldn't stop taking my scarf. You always said you were cold and so you would either steal my scarf or you would wrap us both in it."

"Yeah, I was the only one you would let wear your scarf. I always wondered if it was because I was a Dragon Slayer. Was that why?" Danny cocked her head to the side cutely as she scrunched her nose.

Natsu nodded. "That was part of it, because I knew that Igneel would have trusted you just as much as he trusted me. But it was also because you were my best friend and I didn't mind sharing with you. You were always cold," Natsu shrugged.

"It was because of the shadows," Danny whispered. "I love them, the shadows, they are my home. They make me feel safe, but they are so cold and dark. I was used to it, I felt comfortable with it. But I loved how warm your scarf made me feel, so I always tried to take it. Pretty selfish, I know, but warmth was something I never really felt before."

Natsu hadn't heard that explanation before, and he looked at her with wide eyes. "That's why I got you your own, so that you could be warm and I would have mine too. Plus, we could match, but I made sure it was in your favorite color," Natsu managed out passed the lump forming in his throat.

"It was the only thing that kept me going while I was gone," Danny confessed, pulling her legs close to her chest and resting her chin on her knees while her arms wrapped around her legs. "The scarf, it reminded me that even though I had nothing while I was gone; no family, no friends, no warmth, nothing, I still had something to come back to. I knew you'd still be there."

Natsu placed both hands on her shoulders and leaned his face close. His breathing was a little irregular, but he didn't pay it much attention. "I will always be here," He promised, his hazel eyes boring into her silver ones.

Danny smiled. "I know," Her voice was soft and almost uncertain. He could feel her trembling under his hands slightly, whether from cold or something else he wasn't sure.

He didn't think she believed him. "Hey, I've never lied to you," Natsu grabbed her chin, not forcefully, and looked at her resolutely, "I will always be there for you. Never forget that."

She stared at him for a moment, seemingly contemplating something. "How do you do that?"

"What?"

"How are you always so sure, always so confident? There were so many times where I almost gave up, let myself be destroyed," Danny mused, Natsu's grip tightened on her shoulders at the admission. "I almost let myself die because there was a split second where I wasn't sure if there was any hope left. How are you always so sure that everything will be alright? That you can always be there for me? I don't think you should make promises you can't keep."

Natsu thought for a moment. "I…I don't know. I just feel like, if I give up hope, then there's nothing left. There is no point. You should never give up hope. I don't think I'm making any impossible promises, because nothing is impossible, not for us. I will always protect you," Natsu's voice grew more definite towards the end.

Danny smiled, her eyes watering but she wouldn't let the tears fall. "Okay," She breathed, her voice a little shaky.

Natsu let go of her shoulders and sat down beside her again.

"I'm happy you're home," Natsu smiled.

"Me too," Danny agreed.

"Everyone else is just as ecstatic as I am."

"I wouldn't necessarily say that," Danny mumbled. She continued when she saw Natu's confused look. "I don't think Lucy likes me very much."

Natsu rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Yeah, it did seem like that didn't it? I don't know what's gotten into her, but I'm sure she'll warm up to you eventually. She's actually a really great person; she goes on missions with me, Happy, Gray, and Erza all the time. We're a team, a team I hope you could be a part of."

Danny shifted uncomfortably. "I don't want to cause any rifts in your friendship with Lucy," when Natsu was about to object, Danny hurriedly added, "Besides, you know I prefer to go on jobs alone. Plus, I just got back so I don't think I'll be going on any jobs for a while anyway, unless I really want to."

Ntau looked at her skeptically, but let it drop.

"You should get some sleep," Natsu ordered, not unkindly.

Danny nodded and laid down on the bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. Natsu laid down as well.

Natsu was positioned on his back with one hand under his head and the other resting at his side. Danny was on her side, facing Natsu. She was curled slightly with both her hands settled under her head in a makeshift pillow.

Natsu turned his head towards her and they simply looked at each other for what seemed like ages, but was really only a few minutes.

They just stared until, eventually, Danny's eyes grew too heavy and she succumbed to the blissfulness of sleep. Her breathing evened out and she relaxed fully into the blankets of the bed. She looked so peaceful.

Natsu watched her for a few more moments, gently pushing a stray hair out of her face. He made sure not to wake her up. Natsu, too, fell asleep with his head turned towards Danny and them snuggled close.

A few hours passed with no sound except for the calm breathing of the three occupants of the small room. The stars shined bright in the night and the crescent moon sparkled. The sky was a mix of deep blue, purple, and the richest black. The colors seemed to swirl together and blend creating calmness in the night.

However, as Danny slept, her eyes began to twitch and her lips turned down in a frown. Her brows creased as her breathing became more and more labored.

Danny's skin began to sweat and she threw the blankets off of her.

She began tossing and turning, her head rocking back and forth as invisible images flashed behind her eyelids. Her hands flew to cover her ears and she curled in on herself.

Natsu was stirred from his sleep as the bed quaked. He groggily opened his eyes and glanced around in confusion while he tried to figure out where he was. This always happened when he first woke up, he needed a minute to catch up.

Danny's breathing had become incredibly ragged, as if she couldn't get enough oxygen, and she was trembling. The grip her hands had on the sides of her head tightened at she was thrown deeper and deeper into turmoil.

Natsu furrowed his brows in concern.

"Hey, Danny," Natsu whispered, placing a warm hand on her cheek. She was sticky with sweat and she was flushed with what seemed like a fever. "Hey, it's just a dream, wake up," He soothed, but he wasn't very good at it. He didn't know what to do, she wasn't responding to him.

All of the sudden, Danny shot up screaming. Natsu had moved out of the way before she could ram into him.

Her screaming stopped abruptly and instead she took in large gulps of air, trying to catch her breath. Her fingers dug into her scalp as she rocked back and forth with her knees pulled up to her chest.

"What's wrong with Danny?!" Happy asked startled.

Danny's silver eyes were impossibly wide and glazed and they were shooting around frantically like she didn't recognize where she was.

She kept mumbling, "There was so much blood," under her breath, hardly noticeable. Natsu caught it though.

He looked at her stunned for a moment before he went into action.

Natsu swung around on the bed and was now kneeling in front of Danny. He placed his hands on her cheeks, trying to bring her back to reality. "Hey, Danny, calm down. It was just a dream, you're okay," He consoled slowly.

Danny shook her head panting, "Not a dream, not a dream, not a dream," over and over. She wouldn't meet his eyes, and she couldn't stop shaking.

"Danny, look at me. It's Natsu, remember me?" Natsu spoke clearly and calmly.

Danny's eyes seemed to refocus and she looked right into Natu's hazel eyes. Her breathing began to even out, but she was still trembling.

"Natsu," She sighed, her shoulders sagging.

"Yeah, I'm here. It's okay, you're okay. It was just a nightmare," He cooed, encircling her small form in his muscular arms. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes, willing herself to stop shaking.

Happy waddled up and wrapped his stubby arms around her leg and cuddled her.

"You're okay, everything is okay. You're home and you're safe," Natsu assured, running his fingers through her hair. Danny sighed, slowly calming down.

A few minutes passed and then Danny pulled herself from Natsu's grasp, much to his disappointment not that he would show it. "Sorry," She murmured sheepishly. She blushed lightly and lowered her head, fiddling with her fingers.

"Don't be sorry," Natsu grinned, hoping to ease the tense air.

Danny ran a scarred hand through her violet locks, grinning back at Natsu. "Yeah, okay. Why don't you try to get some sleep?"

"You're not going to sleep?" Happy asked, looking at her concerned.

"No, I don't think so. I usually can't get back to sleep after a nightmare anyway," Danny shrugged, the dark circles under her eyes revealing how tired she really was. Her body was stiff and her smile was strained.

Natsu and Happy shared a look.

"C'mon, you should at least try to get some sleep," Natsu ordered, not unkindly. He shuffled back to his spot in the bed and held the covers up so Danny could crawl under next to him.

Danny rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway. She positioned herself beside Natsu and he let to covers drop.

When they laid down, they were facing each other, both on their sides. Natsu snaked an arm around Danny's slim waist and pulled her flush against his chest. He used his other arm for a pillow for the two of them. Danny's warm breath fanned out across Natsu's chest as she rested her head on his arm.

Natsu repressed a shiver.

He settled his chin on the top of her head as he rubbed her back, his hand moving in comforting circles.

Danny was hesitant to fall asleep, afraid that her terrible dreams would come back. But, she felt so safe in Natsu's arms, maybe they wouldn't happen for just one night.

Happy snuggled in between them, right next to their stomachs.

"Goodnight Natsu, goodnight Danny," Happy whispered, his eyes drooping.

"Night Happy," Danny and Natsu chorused, a small smile forming on Danny's face. Her shoulders relaxed and she allowed her eyes to close.

While those two slept, Natsu simply lost himself in thought. He couldn't calm his mind, thoughts of Danny swirling through his head.

He had never seem her so frightened except for maybe when they had first met, and he didn't like it. She was always so strong and it rocked him to his very core to see her so weak. Natsu never wanted to see her like that again, so he promised himself that he would always protect her.

It seemed like hours before Natsu was finally able to fall asleep, his mind still unsettled.

All too soon, the sun began to rise and light streamed through the small window in the house. The light shined right on the eyes of the sleeping occupants, arousing them from their slumber.

Danny had slept restlessly. Although the comfort of Natsu had helped considerable, lessoning the terror of her nightmares, but she was still incredibly plagued with horrifying thoughts and she couldn't shake the fear that gripped her. She did her best not to show it.

Natsu, too, didn't sleep as well as he had hoped. He was relieved that Danny was back, how could he not be? However, he couldn't stop thinking about what might have happened to her while she was gone, the possible reasons why she had been so scared. To say the least, his mind was crowded and he did not sleep peacefully.

"Thanks for comforting me last night," Danny mumbled, not meeting Natsu's eyes.

"Anytime," Natsu grinned, though it didn't reach his eyes. He was still worried about her, but he wouldn't push her. Danny was one fo the most stubborn people he knew, and if he wanted to know something about her, he would have to wait for her to come to him.

Danny never openly shared her feelings, at least, not often. The only way to figure out her mood was to pay attention to the little things. The way she walked. The tone of her voice when she talked, or if she talked at all. Not even her eyes gave away much emotion when she didn't want them to.

Danny padded into the bathroom with her clothes and came out with her white, sleeveless hoodie (the hood up this time), some black skinny jeans and dark gray combat boots and her scarf wrapped around her waist like a belt again.

She stuffed her dagger into the lining of her shoe and made sure her bracelet was secure of her wrist.

"Hay, Danny?" Happy got her attention, waddling up to her side.

"Yeah?"

Happy blushed, slightly embarrassed about what he was about to ask. "Would you cook fish for me today? It was always my favorite." Happy shifted is feet, twiddling his thumbs.

Danny giggled, "Sure thing, little buddy."

He grinned; he loved it when she called him that. Natsu smiled too, also loving her cooking.

"Let's get going before the others start to think yesterday was a dream," Danny smirked, heading towards the door. Her shoots clacked lightly on the ground; she was still as light on her feet as she always had been.

Natsu and Happy sprinted after her, loving that she was actually with them and that it wasn't a dream.

The walk was shorter than it had been the night before. Instead of joking around and lollygagging like they did last night, they got to the guild hall much faster. Danny wanted to see everyone as much as possible, even though she was still tired out of her mind.

Natsu grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together as they walked into the hall; both were smiling, his a little brighter than hers but no matter.

All of the sudden, Danny was pulled away from the dragon slayer and into a pair of metal clad arms.

"It wasn't a dream, you're actually here," Erza announced, one of her brightest smiles adorning her face.

"Seriously, didn't we do all of this yesterday?" Danny huffed, but she was far from irritated. She was flattered that they cared so much and she was glad that they welcomed her home so openly, especially after having disappeared for so long.

Lucy let a growl tremble in her throat as she, not so subtlety, glared at the purple haired wizard. Not that anybody noticed, all too engrossed in the return of their long lost member.

The blonde's eye caught that of the Shadow Dragon Slayer and they shared a short moment before Lucy broke contact by swiveling in her chair.

The grip Lucy had on her glass tightened ever so slightly as her jaw clenched.

'Why did she have to make it so hard to hate her?' Lucy thought, her shoulders tense. 'I hate her, that's all there is to it. I don't like the way her and Natsu are so close and I don't like that Gray seems to give her all of his attention. I hate the way everybody adores her. And I especially hate that I don't understand these feelings.'

"Whoa, no way! So the rumors are true!" A voice echoed from the open doors of the guild hall.

"Rumors?" Danny cocked her head to the side as she turned around.

A flash of light stunned her for a moment. Danny shook her head, trying to rid herself of her temporary blindness.

"I can't believe it, Daniela Nightshade back from the shadows," the magazine reporter from _Sorcerer Weekly_ gushed, making incredulous gestures with his arms.

"Uh," Danny stuttered, completely lost for what to do.

"You disappeared, out to complete a mission no one has ever dared to accept," he continued, making extra emphasis with wild gestures and facial expressions. "Where had you gone? Nobody knew, and it was uncertain as to when your return might possibly be. What if you were hurt? What if you died? What if you came back a completely different person? So many questions, so little answers. I'm here to document your story and give the people what they want."

"That's a bit of an exaggeration…like wow," Danny deadpanned, raising a brow. "What, I'm almost afraid to ask, do the people want exactly?"

"Everything," the reporter replied, all giddy and excited. He could hardly contain himself.

Danny looked away, suddenly finding a crack in the ceiling very interesting. "Define everything," She squeaked.

Everyone looked at her confused. They knew she wouldn't say anything about her brother. They couldn't help but wonder, what else hadn't she told them?

"Ooh, got some juicy secrets?" He pressed, his hand poised ready to take notes on his little notepad.

Danny cleared her throat and looked determinedly in the reporter's eyes. "Nothing you'd be interested in," She smirked, not backing down for a second. Her hands were stuffed lazily in her pockets and she was leaning slightly forward so as to seem more intimidating even though he was taller than her.

Her silver eyes were as cold as stone and betrayed none of her emotions.

He backed off, raising his hands, palms out, in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. At least let me take a few pictures," he held up his camera and gave her a shy smile.

"Of course," Danny sighed, rolling her eyes.

"I'm loving this new look. Edgy, it suits you. If you don't mind my asking, where did you get those scars?" He inquired as he danced around her posing form snapping pictures of her here and there.

"Eh, casualties are a part of the job. Mistakes are inevitable. This was the result of simple stupidity, letting myself get distracted when I shouldn't have," Danny shrugged, not caring in the least.

The reporter stopped and stared for a moment before going back to taking pictures.

While this was going on, Lucy was glowering in her seat.

"You're in a pretty sour mood," Gajeel commented, leaning against the table she was sitting at with his arms crossed. He wasn't looking at her, instead watching the comical exchange in front of him.

"Why do you care?" Lucy spat, taking another swig of her lemonade.

"Whoa, check the hostility. I did nothing to you, last time I checked," Gajeel scoffed, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Sorry. I just don't like the way everyone just dropped everything because Danny is back," Lucy grumbled, her shoulders slumping.

"Sounds to me like you're jealous," Gajeel sneered.

"What?! No!" Lucy almost shouted.

"I know how you feel about the flame brain. Everyone does, it's super obvious to everyone but you and the hot head himself. But, you didn't expect someone else to join the picture and now you're realizing you don't like it when the attention isn't on you. Rather selfish if you ask me," He hinted, still not looking at her.

He was just putting ideas into her head. At the dazed look in her eye, he took that to mean he was successful. Gajeel smirked as he walked away.

Thoughts of Natsu, Danny, and Lucy's feelings towards the two swirled and dominated Lucy's mind as she tried to sort through it all.

Did she like Natsu? Maybe even love him?

What was the real reason as to why she hated Danny?

Was she really jealous?


End file.
